ArcheAge 2 Rumors – Are XLGames and Kakao Making a New ArcheAge MMORPG?

Is it.. is it finally happening? Did they hear our pleas, are they at last planning on delivering what we’ve all been waiting for ever since ArcheAge first launched?
So at the beginning of 2019 I recall doing a video featuring 2 new upcoming titles: Project 3 and Project 4. Yeah, I’m not kidding with those names. I mean I guess in the grand scheme of things they’re probably easily discernible.
Project 3 was being called an “Online Action RPG” while Project 4 was a traditional “Offline RPG.” At the time, both projects required extensive knowledge and understanding of Unreal Engine 4 and were being built for both PC and console devices in mind.

Fast forward to 2020.. and we finally have additional information pertaining to at least one of the aforementioned games. Probably Project 3 – or maybe a brand new title all together.
MMOCulture managed to happen upon a recruitment listing on the official XLGames website – a listing that has actually been up for the last month now, where they mention there are currently 2 positions open for a brand new upcoming MMORPG.
Last year they were hiring an entire team while currently they’re looking to fill the final 2 positions. The positions in question are for a Technical Artist and Concept Artist – with the latter traditionally responsible for giving life to the world.

One noteworthy point of interest was that yet again, the people in question were required to have experience with Unreal Engine 4, further reaffirming that this isn’t going to be another Bless Online or Ascent: Infinite Realm type deal, no.
This new MMO is being built completely in Unreal Engine 4, which should alleviate some of the concern you may have had.
I’m well aware that most South Korean MMOs have an obsession with Unreal Engine 3 – I’m not sure what it is or why they opt for it every time but it’s refreshing to see a new upcoming MMO built in Unreal Engine 4.
Additionally, they’re required to be able to understand English – something that is normally only expected of you if they’re planning to deal with a Global audience.
This may end up being the most exciting news of all for you guys – are they working on building an MMO with a Global audience in mind? Will we finally have a South Korean MMO where we don’t have to wait 6 years for localization?

For those of you still unaware of who XLGames are, they’re the developers behind the ArcheAge and ArcheAge Unchained PC MMOs. I mean they also worked on ArcheAge Begins – a Mobile MMO but nobody talks about that.
They’ve been in the industry for years and.. admittedly haven’t really done too well with their games over this time, which you should know if you’ve ever played any of their games.
Nevertheless, developers can change, right? They’re capable of change – Maybe they’re less interested in instant gratification and more interested in having a sustainable income source.
Sigh.. Okay, so maybe that’s wishful thinking, but we can dream, right?

While XLGames are technically in the final stages of hiring for their new MMO, I would like to point out that Kakao Games – yes, THAT Kakao Games, the Black Desert Kakao Games have been a majority shareholder in XLGames for a while now.
So if you thought that ArcheAge was bad when it came to in-game monetary advancement.. then you’ve got another thing coming.
While I’m unsure of exactly how much creative control Kakao will have over their game, or games, rather, I would like you to be well aware that if you thought Black Desert Online was pay-to-win or featured heavy advantages to paying customers, it’s likely this brand new upcoming MMO will have a similar issue.

I always enjoyed ArcheAge. It had a lot of features I really enjoyed. It provided a large, open sense of freedom that was or is lacking in the genre for the most part.
It wasn’t linear. I could run around for hours not knowing what I was doing searching out players of the opposite faction to PvP.
There were so many varied forms of PvP, sailing, group content – the game was truly a marvel in its infancy. Over time the population declined quite substantially and the game ended up what it is today: A meme.
Something players refer to when talking about “pay-to-win garbage” and what they reference when stating what MMOs should avoid doing if they want to succeed.

So while XLGames and Kakao both have a lot of experience in the genre, neither of them are known for user-friendly games.
While this new upcoming MMORPG might turn out to be ArcheAge 2, there’s no saying it won’t be another cheap cash-grab aimed at us Westerners – trying to take advantage of us and our thirst for a good new MMO.
I believe that this could turn out to be a solid title, I do. There’s definitely the potential for that. However, at the same time I remain highly pessimistic, as should everyone whenever a new South Korean MMO is announced. Or Kickstarter MMO. Both have the same likelihood of failing.